US spyware 'on USB stick of Merkel aide'

[jakeXT]

Berlin: Regin, an advanced spyware program widely believed to have been developed by US and British intelligence agencies, was found on a USB stick belonging to an official in German Chancellor Angela Merkel's office, Berlin sources say.

Sources said the incident occurred months ago and said that the hackers involved could not be identified.

Dr Merkel's spokeswoman declined to confirm that a cyber-attack had occurred.

The malware was discovered after a mid-level official in the European policy section of the chancellery reportedly took home a document on her USB flash drive to read on her private laptop

http://www.theage.com.au/it-pro/security-it/us-spyware-on-usb-stick-of-merkel-aide-20141230-12fawp.html

[Historic NY]

1. And then there is this take...on the malware.

According to Bild, the staff member had drafted a speech on her work computer, which she then took home on a USB stick to work on using her private laptop. She later saved the document again on the private USB stick and brought it back into the office, to use on her work laptop.

A virus alert went off and it was detected that the USB stick was infected with the spying malware Regin. Checks of all high-security laptops in the Federal Chancellery revealed no additional infections.

Wirtz said there was no danger resulting from the malware infection, and no reason for the Chancellery to fundamentally re-think its computer security systems.


http://www.dw.de/german-government-denies-falling-victim-to-cyber-attack/a-18158951